I followed the directions here and created a new integer preference mail.ui.display.dateformat.today and set it to 2. Messages for today that previously showed just the time in the Date column now show the date and time, after a TB restart.

Tools/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor.

Unfortunately I've tried this procedure a dozen times and on recent emails only the time is shown. On older emails the date and time are displayed but not on recent emails. The internet says it will work but it never does.

mail.ui.display.dateformat.today set integer to 2 but nothing changes.

I'm using Windows 10 and Tb version 60.7.0 Tools (or Menu Icon)/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor I created a new integer preference mail.ui.display.dateformat.today and set it to 2. Closed window clicked on 'OK' in Options window

There was no immediate change.

Restarted Thunderbird and all of todays dates changed from time to date & time.

So this is working for me following sfhowes instructions.

What OS are you using? What version of Thunderbird?

I have windows 8.1 Thunderbird version 60.7.1. I think it's the latest version.

Two possibilities are that you have a program such as CCleaner, that resets TB preferences to defaults, or the prefs.js file in the profile folder is corrupted, so that it doesn't accept changes. How many prefs-N.js, N=1,2,3... files do you have in the profile folder? Help/Troubleshooting Information, click Open Folder to open the profile folder.

This is all I see in the Profile Folder See images attached

I opened Pref-js and this is what it says:

The profile folder contains much more than what you see. Allow the viewing of hidden files and folders in Explorer.

Don't open prefs.js in Script Host; open in a text editor such as Notepad.

Thanks for trying to solve my problem. I opened pref-js in notepad but it's too long to try to add images So what should I look for Is there something I can change?

I added part of the pref-js file. there would be 5 or 6 more parts if I sent the whole file

There's no need to show the entire prefs.js file, but you should see a line that includes mail.ui.display.dateformat.today if you set it to 2, i.e.

user_pref("mail.ui.display.dateformat.today", 2);

If that line isn't present, you can add it (while TB is closed) and see if it has the desired effect when you restart TB.

mail.ui. etc is there and it is set to 2

So I think there is no way to solve this problem Thanks any way. I can live with it as is and it may not be worth spending any more time on it. I was just curious to see if it was possible Thanks again

Have you tried restarting the Thunderbird instance with add-ons disabled from the help menu? IF not I suggest you try it.

Thunderbird 60 disabled many unmaintained add-ons and others advised folks to change a preference that would allow them to continue to use their old addons. This release therefore has more issues with add-ons causing issues because they only "sort of work" with the current release. But they have always been something along with themes that cause issues for some. Usually around non standard/hidden preference settings.

I restarted Thunderbird with add-ons disabled and recent emails show only the (Time) and not the (Date) and (Time). See image

It is odd, almost as if your TB is overruling and using the today - time only as a default. OR you created the Type as a 'String' and not an 'Integer'.

Please confirm in 'config editor', it is showing: mail.ui.display.dateformat.today as 'Type' = Integer. It probably is but just double checking.

Try this: Tools (or Menu Icon)/Options/Advanced/General/Config. editor Right click anywhere in the 'about: config' window and select 'New' > 'integer' Enter: mail.ui.display.dateformat.default Set value to '2' Closed window clicked on 'OK' in Options window

Restart Thunderbird.

Could you post image showing the entries in the 'config editor' window.

At first there were two entries String = 2 and also integer = 2. I deleted the string one but did not solve the problem

In the pref-js file I found two entries One has quotation marks and one doesn't Which one is the integer and which is string? Which one should I delete?

Delete the one with the quotation marks (see above).

Delete this one: user_pref("mail.ui.display.dateformat.today", "2");

I guess when I deleted the string option, it automatically deleted the one with Quotation Marks "2".

So now there is only the one integer format I don't want you to waste much more time on this problem because I don't think it can be solved in window 8.1 system.

They say in windows 10 this method works but I have resisted windows 10 for some unknown reason. Thanks for trying. Walter